Committee Members
The following members were appointed by council in 2021:
Saima Abbasi
Donna Brown
Sherri Darlene (Chair)
Katy Kumar
Janet Madume
Angel Tran
Council Rep: Lori Lococo
Meeting Schedule for 2021
March 15
April 19
May 17
June 14
September 20
October 18
November 15
The Anti-Racism Committee will provide recommendations, advice, and information to theTerms of Reference for the Anti-Racism Committee
Mayor, City Council, and Senior Staff on the following:
- issues relating to racism and anti-racism in the City of Niagara Falls.
- consult with relevant agencies and institutions, including police, educational
institutions, and social services providers related to complaints related to racism - initiate/facilitate discussions between individuals and/or groups to address issues
and concerns of racism in the City of Niagara Falls.
Membership
Membership make-up:
- Committee Composition of seven (7) members comprised of:
- 1 Council Member (plus Mayor as ex officio)
- A maximum of six (6) Citizen Members chosen with the intention of bringing
understanding, expertise and experience in racism and anti-racism issues and
human rights and that have a diverse background covering one or more of the
following categories as outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code:- Age – i.e. Youth (18-30), Adult (30-65), Seniors (65+)
- Gender and Gender Identity – i.e. Male/Female, etc.
- Sexual Orientation – LGBTQ
- Faith – i.e. Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jewish, Atheist, etc.
- Ethno-cultural – i.e. Southeast Asian, Arab, Italian, Polish, etc.
- Physical & Mental Ability – i.e. Autistic, Vision Disability, etc.
Staff advisors from Human Resources and Culture (Recreation) will attend meetings
as required to support the discussion in a non-voting capacity. Their attendance will be
determined per each meeting’s agenda items and may include City staff and other
stakeholder groups as necessary.
All members are subject to the Code of Conduct and Complaint Protocol for the City of
Niagara Falls.
Committee Member Selection
Committee members will be selected through an application and interview process. All
selected candidates must attend an orientation session. The interview panel will include
the appointed Council representative and staff representatives. Recommendations will be
presented to Council for approval.
Committee Member Qualifications
Committee members will have the skills, knowledge, and experience to contribute
effectively to the committee’s objectives. Committee members must be a City of Niagara
Falls resident, business owner or stakeholder and be generally familiar with:
- overall community issues
- issues facing racism issues in the community and across the City of
Niagara Falls.
Terms of Office
The term of office of the Anti-Racism Committee shall run concurrent with current term of
Council, or until successors are appointed; and at the first meeting of the Committee, the
voting members of the Committee will appoint the Chair and Vice-Chair.
Work Plan
The Committee members will work with City staff to set out a work plan for the Committee
and outline their objectives. The Committee will report to Council as needed and will
present its accomplishments to Council on an annual basis.
Procedures and Frequency of Meetings
- The Anti-Racism Committee will meet as required, or and determined by committee
members, at the call of the Chair, or at the direction of Council. - The dates of meetings will be confirmed upon agreement of the committees annual
work plan so as to integrate well with the plans and projects under discussion by the - The Chair of the Committee in consultation with City Staff may cancel a meeting if it is
determined there are insufficient items to discuss. - Half of the committee members plus one will constitute quorum.
- Meetings will be open to the public at an accessible location.
- Other Members of Council may attend meetings, but will participate as non-voting
- In consultation with the Chair, staff will prepare meeting agendas in advance of the
- Meeting minutes will be prepared by a staff member or designated committee member
and forwarded to each committee member (copied to the City Clerk).
Procedural Rules
The rules of procedure will be those rules of procedure as outlined in the City of Niagara
Falls Procedural Rules of Council, adopted by By-law 2019-04.
